Falling From Cloud 9
by Carlet
Summary: Sequel to Happily Never After so go and read that if you haven't already. Takes place 3 months after that ends. What happens to Cameron after the revelation about her background and her move to Seattle? Not as depressing as its prequel.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: This is the sequel to Happily Never After. Go and read that first if you haven't already done so. This first chapter takes place three months after the ending in Happily Never After. ****  
**

**Disclaimer: You know the drill. I don't own anything. **

Chapter 1

"Huge car wreck on I-90," came the announcement from the head ER doctor. "Lots of people coming in. Everyone, prepare to work a double shift."

Cameron sighed as she leaned against the wall, taking a brief, yet much needed break. Three months of working at the ER in the Seattle Children's Hospital and she was still not used to the chaotic nature of this place. Running around nonstop, caring for thirty, maybe fifty patients per shift, she had been completely unprepared for this job when she'd first arrived in Seattle. But this had been the only opening, and she needed the money. At three months pregnant, she really wasn't supposed to be working here. But it was either work here or eat in the soup kitchen down the street.

Now, instead of sitting around a cushy office and working on interesting cases, she was tending to car accident victims and kids who got toys up their noses. And wearing sneakers. She looked down at her feet in distaste. She'd never been a big fan of sneakers. But they were a necessity here in the ER.

"Tucker! Need you here!" shouted the perpetually grumpy head ER doctor, Ramirez, who seemed to hate her with a passion. Probably had to do with the fact that while Cameron had flowing blond hair (yes, she'd dyed her hair after leaving Princeton) and a toned body, Ramirez was overweight and practically bald.

"Tucker!" Ramirez's voice screeched. "Get over here now!"

Right. Tucker. That was the new name she'd given herself three months ago, so House wouldn't be able to track her down. Natalie Tucker. Three months and she was still getting used to it.

She thought about her old name. Allison Cameron. At 14, she'd agonized over that name. She'd wanted her new life to be perfect. Cameron snorted. Right. Perfect. Look at how that'd turned out. She'd ended up leaving in the dead of night. Again.

"TUCKER! GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE OR YOU'RE FIRED!"

Cameron headed over to the grouchy Ramirez, feeling nostalgic for her former friends, former name, and former life.

**Author's note: Sooo what do you think? Review plz! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: The only thing I own is this lovely story. Not House MD. You know that by now. **

Chapter 2

After an excruciatingly exhausting double shift, Cameron headed to her apartment. Because she figured that her car would be too easy to track, she'd been forced to sell it before leaving Princeton. Hence, she was stuck walking everywhere. The move to Seattle had drained her savings.

About half an hour of walking later, she arrived at her apartment and unlocked the door, revealing the apartment in all its glory. An ugly square shaped studio apartment with urine colored walls, leaky faucets, and creaky floors. Still packed boxes were strewn everywhere. She had to be ready to go on the run at any minute, on the off chance that House tracked her down.

House. Oh, how she missed him. His sarcastic yet witty comments. His piercing blue eyes. Even the way he popped Vicodin and mocked her constantly. The past few years working under him had been the best years of her life. She'd finally had a home, friends, and a good job. She even missed Foreman and Chase, who'd been nothing but nice to her. They'd been the brothers she'd never had but always wanted.

This wasn't how her life was supposed to be. She was supposed to be working under House, in one of the most prestigious fellowships in the country. Supposed to fall in love with the perfect guy. Supposed to finally have a family, something she'd wanted all her life. Supposed to live in a gorgeous apartment with a view instead of this hellhole. Supposed to have kids that she would love with all her heart. Kids she would never abandon. Supposed to grow old with her perfect husband and watch their grandkids play in the yard.

Those had been her dreams all her life. Whenever things at her various foster homes were exceptionally dreadful, she'd retreated to her dreams, her hopes. They had kept her going those awful few years in Chicago. She'd thought her dreams had come true back in Princeton. But now they were hopelessly shattered. All because of one mistake.

If only she'd stayed away from House. Kept a platonic relationship like bosses and their employees were supposed to. But then again, she reminded herself, it had been House who'd kissed her first. Which made all of this his fault. Everything. Her painful new job, her new home, even her new hair color. And above all, her pregnancy.

No. She shook her head. She would not think about that right now. That was the one place that she did not allow her thoughts to flow. She'd promised herself that she would only look forwards, towards the future from the moment she left Princeton. Her only focus would be on building a new life here in Seattle. A new life for herself and her baby.

House's baby. The ridiculousness of it made her laugh. She was carrying her father's baby. It was the sort of the thing that only happened to sluts. Trashy girls who seduced their fathers to get what they wanted. Not her. And yet, all because of a mistake, a misunderstanding, look at what happened.

Cameron stood up and started pacing around her mostly bare apartment, trying to unpack in an attempt to distract herself. She reminded herself that when she'd left, she'd left the past behind, where it belonged. She could not let herself dwell in what should have happened, what she should have avoided. It was all over. The only thing she could do now was to face the future.

It didn't matter that the baby was…no. She would not allow herself to say that name. All that mattered was that in a few months, she would have a child. Someone who would need her. And she promised herself that she would do whatever it took to give them the best life possible. Something that she'd sorely lacked.

**Author's note: Review. It's not that hard. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own House MD. I don't own House MD. I don't own House MD. Maybe if I say it enough it'll actually start to stick in your minds.**

Chapter 3

Cameron's entire body screamed in protest as she reached over to turn off her alarm the next morning. As a doctor, she knew that she really shouldn't have taken that ER job. But as a future mother, she knew that she didn't have a choice.

She walked slowly to the bathroom, stretching out her sore muscles. As usual, she avoided looking at the mirror. At her blonde hair. While it was pretty, it just another reminder. A painful reminder of everything that had gone wrong.

She took a quick shower, and then dressed in her pink scrubs. Tying her hair back into a simple ponytail, she was reminded again of what she missed. Instead of spending many hours agonizing over her outfits, she was now forced to wear these awful scrubs day in, day out.

How she missed shopping! Growing up as a foster child, she'd never really had enough money to pick out the clothes she'd wanted. She'd always worn whatever was handed down to her by her older foster siblings. So when she'd landed the job at PPTH, the first thing she'd done was shop. It had quickly become her favorite pastime, since she'd needed a huge supply of work clothes.

But now, she was barely surviving on her meager savings. The move to Seattle had really drained her bank account. So shopping was clearly out of the question for now.

Grabbing her jacket, she began the long uphill walk to the hospital, noting how awful Seattle looked. Perpetually gray and rainy, it was a far cry from Princeton. Yes, it hadn't been sunny every single day, but at least it didn't look this depressing. Yet another thing she missed about her old life.

She arrived at the hospital early, something she'd become accustomed to while working for House. Now, of course, she didn't need to be there to make coffee. But it was better than being in her apartment, ruminating about what should have been.

"Morning." One of the ER doctors, Gaby Simms, greeted her. Out of the many doctors, Gaby was the only nice one in this whole godforsaken place. She had been there for Cameron since the day she'd started working here. The day she'd come in, trying not to cry, still adjusting to the fact that this was her life now. Although Gaby knew about Cameron's pregnancy, she didn't know the full details. No one did, and Cameron intended to keep it that way. It would only serve to alienate her from everyone.

"Hi." Cameron said as she hung up her coat in her locker. While she was grateful for a friend, she knew the consequences of trusting people too deeply. So she kept herself vague and closed off.

"How are you?" Gaby asked, her eyes full of concern. She, just like Cameron, was excellent at reading people and knew that Cameron was hiding something. But thankfully, unlike certain people Cameron had known in the past she didn't pry.

"Nauseous." Cameron answered with a grimace. "Same old same old."

"You should really take a day off." Gaby said. She had the tendency to mother, which was comforting but could get annoying. "You work more than anyone here."

"Yeah, Ramirez really has it in for me." Cameron slammed her locker shut. "Double shift after double shift. Kill me now."

"Exactly! You should go tell her you're pregnant. Maybe she'll give you some time off?" Gaby suggested. It was quite amusing how naïve she was. Like anything in the world was really that easy.

"Like she'd care." Cameron snorted. "She fucking hates me."

"Well maybe…" Gaby was cut off.

"It's fine." Cameron snapped. She knew that she'd been rude but she couldn't afford to take any time off. And if other people found out she was pregnant, it would only raise questions. Namely, who/where was the father. And she could not allow that to happen.

Cameron quickly exited the locker room before Gaby could ask any more questions. While she was terribly lonely here, it was safer to not have any deep relationships.

**Author's note: Come on, you know you wanna. Push the review button. It's that simple. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't really have a nice way of telling you that I DON'T OWN HOUSE MD! **

Chapter 4

Pick up a file from the nurse's station, plaster fake smile on face, walk over to patient, treat patient, give prescription if needed, dismiss patient, put file back in nurse's station, grab new file, and repeat. Pick up file from nurse's station, plaster fake smile on, treat patient, dismiss patient, grab new file, and repeat. That was Cameron's monotonous routine day in, day out. Occasionally, the patient was a small child that would need calming down or some coaxing, usually done by the promise of a lollipop. It helped that Cameron was naturally good with small children.

Thanks to Ramirez, every shift Cameron worked was a double shift. And she only got short breaks every three hours. It was pure hell. Every once in a while, she'd catch Gaby giving her worried looks. It was nice, but Cameron knew that she had to keep to herself. Once, she'd fainted, which led to a three hour lecture on eating properly from Gaby. In the back of her mind, she knew that she had to keep herself healthy, but that was getting harder and harder, especially since Ramirez was hell bent on working her until she died.

Pick up a file from the nurse's station, plaster fake smile on face, walk over to patient, treat patient, give prescription if needed, dismiss patient, put file back in nurse's station, grab new file, and repeat. Pick up a file from the nurse's station, plaster fake smile on face, walk over to patient, treat patient, give prescription if needed, dismiss patient, put file back in nurse's station, grab new file, and repeat. Cameron grew weary at this routine. Sometimes, she'd catch her mind wandering into the past and she'd have to stop herself before she broke down crying in front of her patient.

Pick up a file from the nurse's station, plaster fake smile on face, walk over to patient, treat patient, give prescription if needed, dismiss patient, put file back in nurse's station, grab new file, and repeat. After an agonizing triple shift, Cameron collapsed in the locker room. Her entire body ached and her head throbbed. Worst of all, she'd barely been able to keep any food down today.

She could hear House's voice in her mind, telling her to take care of herself. It was the same thing he'd told her after she'd been shot and refused to take her pain meds. She hadn't wanted to become addicted to them, she'd argued. She could practically hear House's retort that there was no way in hell she'd end up like him, because she was too damn nice for his liking.

An angry tear slid down her cheek. Why did this have to happen to her? Hadn't she suffered enough? If only she hadn't given in to her feelings for House. If only. There were about a thousand 'if only's that came into play here. If only House hadn't kissed her. If only she hadn't let him. If only, if only, if only.

At the sound of footsteps heading towards the locker room, Cameron stood up quickly. The result was instant dizziness. She placed her hand on the wall to steady herself.

"Oh my God. Are you okay?" Of course, it was Gaby. Damn her.

"Yeah. Just dizzy." Cameron answered, trying to hide the fact that she'd been on the verge of crying just moments ago.

"You're really pale. Have you eaten anything?" Gaby asked.

"I'm fine." Cameron knew that this was a really stupid answer, since anyone with half a brain could see that she was anything but.

"But…"

"I said I'm fine!" She snapped at Gaby for the second time that day. "Just tired." She picked up her jacket. "See you tomorrow." She didn't meet Gaby's eyes, for she knew that if she did she'd start crying and never stop.

**Author's note: Yes, I know the story's been depressing for a while. But stick with me it gets better.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Shut it. I don't own House MD. **

Chapter 5

Sometimes, in the brief moments Cameron allowed her thoughts to wander, she wondered what had happened to Foreman and Chase. Did they miss her? Had they hired someone to replace her? When she left Princeton, she'd deleted her email and thrown her phone into the ocean, all so she couldn't be found. As far as anyone knew, Allison Cameron had fallen off the face of the earth.

When she was feeling especially nostalgic, she'd let herself look up PPTH, just to see what happened in the three months she'd been gone. Was House's department still there? She'd expected the answer to be no, since she'd figured that after she left House would just shut down and hide in his apartment with Vicodin. But no, according to Google, House's department was still functioning as usual. It was as if she'd never left.

She wondered what would've happened if she hadn't left. Had broken things off with House and pretended that everything was ok. That the fact that she was his daughter hadn't bugged her at all. Of course, she knew that that wasn't possible. It would have raised too many questions; and that, coupled with the fact that she would have been too embarrassed to even look at House, would have eventually resulted in her leaving.

Cameron knew that, at least theoretically, her life was better here. She was earning a decent amount of money (she better be, after working like a pack mule everyday), Seattle was quite pretty if you ignored the doom and gloom, and Gaby was actually a pretty good friend.

Then why did she miss Princeton so much? Any slight reminder of her old life, such as the sight of a red mug or a cane, could send her into tears.

She would just have to remind herself that her life was better here, that staying in Princeton would have meant disaster.

Seven months after Cameron arrived in Seattle, Ramirez was fired. Someone had reported that she'd been severely mistreating her employees. Although it had been anonymous, Cameron suspected that it had been Gaby. She made a mental note to thank her friend somehow.

As a result, Cameron was now the head ER doctor, something that drastically improved her life. Suddenly, instead of working graveyard shifts, she had regular 9 to 5 work hours. Her wages tripled (nearly reaching the amount she'd used to make working under House). In addition, since her pregnancy was becoming very obvious, she was able to mostly sit in her office instead of running around treating patients all day.

She'd even started to confide in Gaby. Of course, she hadn't actually told her the entire truth. Just that she'd moved from Princeton to escape an old boyfriend (which wasn't actually a lie) and that yes, she was pregnant with his baby. Gaby, as expected, had been very sympathetic and immediately offered to help with whatever Cameron needed.

Which was probably the only reason her apartment had been unpacked, cleaned, and repainted, and the second bedroom, formerly a storage place, converted into a nursery. One day, when Gaby had come over to pick up Cameron to go shopping, she'd seen the horrible state of the place and declared it her personal duty to fix up Cameron's "horribly filthy apartment unfit for humans" into a livable place.

Cameron had even nearly stopped missing her old life so much. Or rather, she had no time to miss her old life. With Gaby, preparing for her baby, and her job, most of her time was occupied. Besides, what was there to miss? Sure, Foreman and Chase had treated her like a little sister. But Gaby was like the best friend/sister she'd never had. Her old job had been more interesting, that's for sure. But there was this pleasure, this satisfaction that came out of working in the ER, where she'd saved so many people everyday whereas in the past she'd only saved one per week. As for House, well, Cameron had done a remarkably good job convincing herself that she didn't miss him.

Yes. Life had definitely improved.

**Author's note: Yes, the story will actually move forward in the next several chapters. Just hold on. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Yup. That's right. I don't own House MD. **

Chapter 6 (two months later)

Hailey. Hailey Tucker. That was the name Cameron had decided on for her daughter. Of course, Hailey Cameron would have sounded even better, but of course that was not possible, she thought with a rueful smile.

She smiled down at her beautiful baby. Her small patch of brown hair was almost the exact shade of Cameron's, before she'd dyed it blonde, and her eyes were almost exactly the same as…well, Cameron didn't let herself say his name.

Cameron couldn't believe that she'd almost had an abortion. When she first found out she was pregnant, she'd nearly driven herself crazy with the knowledge that this was House's baby. Her father's baby. It was wrong. She'd always had a strong sense of ethics, and everything told her that this was wrong. But she couldn't let herself kill a human being.

She'd briefly considered giving it up for adoption, but had quickly dismissed this idea. She couldn't abandon her baby. That was the whole reason her life had sucked so badly. There was no way she'd let the same thing happen to her child.

It didn't matter who the baby's father was. Nothing mattered anymore, except that she had a wonderful new daughter, one that she already loved with all her heart.

Of course, there was the matter of Hailey asking about her father when she was older. Clearly, Cameron couldn't tell her the truth. But she had plenty of time before that problem would pop up. Surely she'd be able to come up with a clever story. She hated the idea of lying to her daughter. But the truth would destroy her, and she couldn't bear to let that happen.

Wake up, feed Hailey, shower, make Hailey stop crying, go to work, work ass off, answer desperate call from very incompetent babysitter, yell at stupid employees, answer desperate call from babysitter, go home, stop Hailey from crying, make dinner, stop Hailey from crying, try and watch TV, interrupted by Hailey crying, go to bed, wake up in middle of night thanks to Hailey crying, make her stop crying, try and get some more sleep, give up when realize that Hailey was crying again, and repeat.

That quickly became Cameron's daily schedule. No matter how good she was with children, she just could not handle Hailey, who cried nonstop.

"Wow. You look terrible." Gaby commented one morning. It had been a particularly difficult week, and Cameron had barely gotten any sleep all week.

"Shut up." She grumbled, slamming her locker. Her usually perfectly styled blonde hair was pulled back into a sloppy bun and she had under eye circles the size of plates.

"Hailey keeping you up all night?"

"No, I just like look to like shit so you can make rude comments." Cameron retorted, her voice oozing with sarcasm. She briefly noted that she sounded like House, but for once was too tired to let that bother her.

"Sorry." Gaby put her hands up in surrender. "Why didn't you stay home today? You probably look sicker than the patients."

"Can't. Too much work to do. Which I wouldn't be able to do with Hailey screaming in the background." Cameron replied as she headed out of the locker room, already thinking ahead to a huge cup of coffee.

That day, she was so tired that she walked into walls multiple times, yelled at patients, and even accidentally stabbed herself with a needle while trying to draw a patient's blood.

"Ok, you need to take a break." Gaby steered a disoriented Cameron towards her office. "You're scaring the patients." She plunked Cameron down into her chair. "You sit here. I'm going to get you some coffee."

Cameron sighed in relief as she heard Gaby's footsteps recede. A huge ass cup of coffee might be able to keep her from collapsing from exhaustion until the end of the day.

Suddenly, there were loud footsteps, followed by frantic knocks on her office door. "What?!" Cameron snapped loudly.

A young nurse stepped back timidly from the doorway. "Sorry to bother you, Dr. Tucker. But I was sent to tell you that there was a huge car crash on I-90, and they need everyone out here. Apparently there's a truckload of patients coming in."

Cameron groaned loudly as she stood up. "Fine. I'm coming"

She walked, or rather shuffled zombie style, towards the nurse's station and grabbed the first file she found, not even bothering to read the patient's medical condition like she usually did. When she approached the cubicle, however, the name on the file made her stop cold.

It was him.

**Author's note: Please review. It's not that hard. **


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's note: Ok, so thanks to the lovely reviews I got for the last chapter I stayed up late just to finish this chapter. Blew off hw and everything. Your welcome :P**

**Disclaimer: Wait, what did I just heard? That I don't own House MD? *gasp* you're finally listening to me! **

Chapter 7 (3 months after Hailey is born)

It was him. It was him. It was him. Immediately, Cameron started hyperventilating. No. It couldn't be. It was him. It was him. It was him.

She rubbed her eyes, hoping it was a hallucination brought on by lack of sleep. But it wasn't. He was still there, sitting on the bed, multiple cuts and bruises across this face and arms.

Cameron sank against the wall, behind a nurse's station. Her panicked thoughts swirled around frantically. How the hell had he found her here? She'd thought that she was safe.

She snuck another peek at the cubicle. No. It wasn't House. Or Chase or Foreman. God had given her that much. But she would much rather have Chase or Foreman on that bed instead of _him._

God. He was so cute, much nicer than she'd remembered. The way that lock of hair fell into his eyes, and the way he smiled so adorably.

She remembered the first time she'd met him. It was at a crappy bar a couple of blocks from the hospital. She'd gone there after her disastrous first date with House to blow off some steam.

"_Drinking alone?" Someone sidled up to her on the adjacent bar stool. _

"_Yes." Cameron replied. She was sitting at The Last Shot, a seedy looking bar near the hospital. After that dreadful date with House, she'd barely been able to look at him at work. And to make matters worse, he'd been especially awful to her that day, mocking her at every chance he got and shooting down every diagnosis she'd suggested. So she'd come here, hoping to get ridiculously wasted and forget all about today's events._

"_Why?" It was the same person. "No. Let me guess. Hmm... you're too pretty to be blown off, so I'm guessing you're here to get drunk."_

_Cameron stiffened, slightly disturbed that he could read her that well. "That obvious, huh?" _

"_What's your name?" The stranger asked. _

"_Allison." Cameron slurred as she finished off her fifth beer of the night. _

"_Such a pretty name." He whispered into her ear, lips dangerously close to her cheek. _

_Suddenly, she felt uncomfortable. What if he was a creepy rapist? Grabbing her purse, she slid off the stool. But she was so drunk that she stumbled forwards. As luck would have it, he caught her before she hit the ground. As he steadied her, she realized that he had warm, brown eyes. Not the eyes of a crazy rapist._

"_Thanks." She whispered. "But I should really go."_

_She stumbled again, and he caught her once more. "I don't think you should be driving like this. Give me your keys. I'll give you a ride home."_

_He noticed her hesitation. "I'm not a crazy molester. I promise."_

_Although this was against everything Cameron believed in, she didn't really care right now. She handed him her keys. _

_He helped her into her car and drove her home. On the drive, she briefly remembered herself babbling endlessly about how she loved pancakes. Yes, she was that drunk. When they got there, she collapsed into bed._

_The next morning, she woke up to a glass of water and a huge bottle of Tylenol on her nightstand. Next to the Tylenol was a note._

_Allison-_

_Anytime you feel like actually having pancakes instead of blabbing drunkenly about them, call me. I promise I'm still not a creeper._

_-Hudson Taylor (the ridiculously nice guy who drove you home last night)_

_And underneath his name was a phone number. _

_Cameron smiled to herself and folded up the note. It was nice to be wanted by somebody. Especially somebody that was so cute. _

_So she called him and set up a date. And another, and another, and another. Pretty soon, he was practically living at her place._

_But she still wasn't happy. Deep in her heart, she knew that Hudson was just a distraction. A distraction from House, who despite his cruel treatment, she was still in love with. And of course, this did not escape Hudson's attention._

"_What's wrong?" He asked one night. They were out at a restaurant to celebrate their three month anniversary. _

"_Huh? Nothing?" Cameron said absentmindly. She was too busy daydreaming about House's piercing blue eyes, which had stared at her all day. _

"_Are you sick?" He asked, full of concern. Cameron instantly felt guilty. Here she was, out at a fabulous restaurant with her amazing boyfriend, and she was daydreaming about some bastard that had broken her heart._

"_Just, um, tired." She knew that was a lame excuse. "Long day at work."_

"_No." He studied her carefully. "You're in love with someone else."_

_Cameron recoiled, instantly horrified. How could he read her so easily? "No I'm not. That's crazy." But she didn't meet his eyes._

"_Yes." He sat back, staring at her with those brown eyes. "You're distracted all the time. And whenever I ask you say that you're either tired or thinking about work. But how tired can someone be, and I know you well enough to know that you're not a workaholic. Which brings me back to this. You're in love with someone else."_

"_No." She retorted weakly._

"_Yes." He said simply. "Just admit it. I'm not going to be mad."_

"_I'm sorry." She whispered. "You probably really hate me right now."_

"_I'm not." He stood up and threw down a couple twenties. "Just keep this in mind. Whoever he is, he's a damn lucky guy." And with that Hudson left the restaurant._

_Over the next few weeks, he called her occasionally, just to talk. Other than Foreman and Chase, he was a pretty good friend. It made Cameron feel guilty about how their relationship had ended, but what could she have done? Pretended that she was in love with him? _

"Who are you hiding from?" Gaby's voice interrupted Cameron's flashback.

"Huh?" She jumped, knocking over a box of supplies. "Nothing."

"Then why aren't you with your patient?" Gaby peeked at the file, and then Hudson. "Damn. He's hot. No wonder you're hiding."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Cameron hissed. "And keep your voice down!"

"You don't want to treat that really hot guy looking like that." Gaby gestured at Cameron's messy bun and wan complexion. "Hey, if you don't want him, I'll take him. You can go give that guy over there stitches." She pointed across the room to a cubicle with a blood covered kid.

Just the sight of all that blood was making her queasy. "Um, no. That's okay."

"Then stop hiding like a 6th grader and go treat the guy!" Gaby said, walking over to her bloody patient. "But you might want to brush your hair first."

Rolling her eyes, Cameron headed over to Hudson. Better get it over with. Remembering Gaby's advice, she quickly pulled her hair into a sleek ponytail and pinched her cheeks. Hopefully he wouldn't recognize her with her blonde hair and makeup free face.

"Hello." Cameron stepped up to Hudson, her heart pounding. She tried to keep her face buried in the file. "I'm Dr. Tucker."

She felt herself blush as Hudson looked up. "Hi."

Damn, even his voice was hot. She snuck a peek at him. Even with cuts and bruises, he was still hotter than ever.

"What seems to be the problem?" She asked, willing her voice not to shake.

"I got hit by a car. Isn't it obvious? I don't usually look this good." He joked. Even his sense of humor was still there. It was almost like she was back in Princeton, almost a year ago, and nothing had changed.

"Right, so then, I'll just, um, clean up those cuts and you should be good to go." She said, still holding the file up to her face.

"I'm not a doctor, but don't you have to put down that file in order to do that?" He teased.

"Huh?" Her heart pounded. If she put down the file, he'd surely recognize her and all hell would break loose.

"The file. Don't you have to put it down?" Hudson said slowly. "I'm sure that whatever's in it is interesting, but I think I'll be even more entertaining."

"Oh! Right!" Slowly, she lowered down the file and placed it on a table. Keeping her head ducked down, she grabbed a handful of gauze.

As she reached for some peroxide, she felt the heat of Hudson's stare. Slowly, she began to clean his cuts, being extra careful to keep her face down.

But as luck would have it, it was no use.

"Hey. I know you." He said slowly.

"What? No you don't." She said a little too quickly, almost dropping a bandage.

"Yes. I do." He said again. "Or else you wouldn't have almost dropped that. And you would actually look up."

Damn him!

Slowly, Cameron looked up, wiling him not to recognize her. "Better?"

"You look really familiar." He said thoughtfully. Suddenly, he snapped his fingers. "Allison!"

Cameron hoped to God that no one would be able to hear her heart pound. "No." She pointed shakily to her name tag. "Natalie. Natalie Tucker. From Seattle."

Hudson shook his head stubbornly. "No. You're Allison. Allison Cameron. From Princeton."

"You've got the wrong person." She said, hastily bandaging his last cut. "There. You're good to go. I'll have a nurse come by and give you discharge papers." She turned around and high-tailed it back to her office, praying that nobody heard their exchange. Hopefully Hudson would just think that he recognized the wrong person and leave her alone.

**Author's note: Review. Pretty pretty please. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: Other than Gaby, Hudson, and Hailey, I own NOTHING. Understand? NOTHING. **

Chapter 8

The next morning, Cameron arrived at work, her mood miraculously improved. For the first time in months, Hailey slept through the night without a single peep, allowing Cameron to get some much needed rest. It also helped that it was a gorgeous spring day instead of cloudy and depressing like usual.

Although the Hudson issue was still in the back of her mind, she decided not to let it ruin her good mood. With any luck, he'd decide that he'd been wrong.

"You look great." Gaby commented as she met up with Cameron in the locker room that morning. "Does it have something to do with Dr. Hottie yesterday?" She winked. For someone who was over thirty, she sounded exactly like a teen.

"No." Cameron said, burying her face in her locker to hide her blush. "Hailey finally slept through the night."

"That's great!" Gaby slammed her locker shut. "Did you get his number?"

"What?" Cameron said absentmindly, concentrating on pulling her hair up. "Who?"

"Dr. Hottie. Did you get his number?"

"What makes you think that?" Cameron said, instantly defensive. Had Hudson mentioned something to Gaby?

"I don't know. Just the way he looked at you. Like you were really interesting." Gaby mused as they headed towards the ER.

"You've been drinking too much." Cameron fought to keep her voice even. "I don't have time for this. I have like six months worth of paperwork to…" She stopped short.

Standing in front of her office door, with a bouquet full of pink tulips (her favorite flower, damn him for remembering!), was Hudson.

"Why'd you stop?" Gaby bumped into Cameron, irritated. Then, she spotted Hudson. "Oh, wow, speak of the devil, huh?"

"Go talk to him!" Gaby shoved Cameron from behind. "He's obviously here to see you."

But Cameron stayed frozen on the spot. What was he doing here? Was he going to question her identity? Or, worse, reveal to everyone that she was using a fake name?

"Go!" Gaby urged.

"But, I, paperwork." Cameron struggled to come up with an excuse.

"Just go! I, as your crazy awesome best friend, will take care of your patients for you. Now go!" She shoved Cameron forward.

"Um, hi." Cameron muttered. She kept her eyes trained to the floor. She did not need him staring into her distinctive green eyes and making another comment about how familiar she was.

"Hi. Brought you these." Hudson thrust the bouquet into her arms.

"Why?" Cameron knew she was being rude, but seriously. This guy was like a stalker.

"What, is it illegal to bring someone flowers?" Hudson said, his brown eyes sparkling. God he was really hot. For a second, Cameron couldn't remember why she'd broken up with him.

"No, but you hardly know me." She replied, taking the flowers and sniffing them.

"Really? Because you have an uncanny resemblance to someone I know." He joked. It was obvious he was trying to get her to admit that she was Cameron.

Dammit. He was really stubborn. No matter how cute he was, Cameron knew she had to get rid of him. "No. I've never seen you before in my life." She tried to step around him into her office, but he blocked her way.

"All right, all right. I'm sorry." He held his hands up in surrender. "But can I take you out to dinner sometime? I'm not a creepy stalker, I promise."

It took all of Cameron's self control to reply. "No." And with that, she stepped around him and slammed the door to her office, throwing the tulips into the trash.

But over the next few days, it became painfully apparent that Hudson would not take no for an answer. He began sending more and more gifts. From flowers to candy to cards, each morning there was a new pile of gifts lined up outside Cameron's office door.

"Damn, he really likes you." Gaby commented a week later as she watched Cameron attempt to jam a huge teddy bear into the tiny trash can in her office.

"No. He's just a crazy stalker." Cameron quipped as she gave up and threw the bear into a corner of the room. "I'll just have someone take up to the playroom later."

"He sends you gifts every day. Huge, extravagant gifts. Gifts that most women could only hope to get on Valentine's Day." Gaby said. "If that's not love I don't know what it is."

"A creepy obsession with me." Cameron replied as she sat in her chair and pulled out the six months work of paperwork she had to catch up on.

"I'm pretty sure that's not it." Gaby sat in the chair across from Cameron's. "Just go out with the poor guy. Give him a chance."

"No." Cameron said firmly.

"Why?"

"I said no." Cameron said, her tone conveying that this conversation was over. But Gaby was stubborn.

"That's not an answer." When she was that Cameron wasn't budging, she decided to try a different approach. "Look. I know you've been hurt in the past," she began softly. "But it doesn't mean you have to close yourself off forever."

Cameron busied herself with her paperwork, trying not to cry. Hurt would barely begin to describe the damage House had inflicted on her.

"Natalie. Look at me." Gaby said.

Cameron flinched at the use of her fake name. Even after nearly a year, she still wasn't used to it.

"You deserve to be happy," Gaby said firmly.

"I am…" Cameron began to argue, but she was cut off.

"No you're not," Gaby insisted. "You go to work and you take care of Hailey. That's all you do. You're thirty two! You barely have a life!"

Gaby could see by the change in Cameron's demeanor that she was finally getting through to her. "Just go out with him. What could go wrong?"

Cameron snorted. That was exactly the same judgment she'd used before her first date with House. And look at how awful that had ended up.

But then again, Gaby had a point. Unlike House, who was practically world famous for being a bastard, in the three months Cameron had dated Hudson, he'd been a genuinely nice guy. And what harm could there be? "Natalie Tucker" looked way different from "Allison Cameron". She had blonde hair and pale skin (thanks to the crappy weather in Seattle), whereas Allison Cameron had brown hair and semi-tanned skin. Besides, she deserved a night off.

"You're right." Cameron stood up. "I'll call him. But that means you get to babysit Hailey tonight."

"Yay!" Gaby clapped her hands like an excited little kid.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: If I owned House MD, I'd be super rich and wouldn't have to waste time every night doing scholarships. Oh well too bad so sad. **

Chapter 9

That evening, Cameron left work earlier than usual so she would have extra time to prepare for her date with Hudson.

She took extra care with her hair, styling it into soft waves that fell around her face. It was a hairstyle that she hadn't had since her days at PPTH. There was really no reason to have nice hair in the ER. Instead of just wearing some eyeliner like she usually did every day, she spent extra time with her makeup, trying out various shades of eyeshadow to enhance her green eyes.

Gaby came over around 5, carrying an overnight bag. "Your super awesome best friend reporting for babysitting duty." She said when Cameron opened the door. "Wow. You look great."

"Thanks." Cameron said as she fastened a pair of hoop earrings. "Do you think it's too much, or…" she bit her lip. She hadn't been this nervous since before her date with House, almost a year ago.

Gaby studied Cameron's simple dark red cocktail dress and black heels. "No. You look fabulous."

The doorbell rang. "Shit that's him." Cameron looked at the door anxiously.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Gaby came down the hallway carrying Hailey. "Go!"

"I don't know. Are you sure you'll be ok with Hailey? She's been really fussy lately and…" It was obvious that Cameron was just fishing for excuses.

"Just shut it already and go. I'll be fine. Hailey loves me, right?" She cooed at the baby, who gurgled sleepily in response. "See?"

"Kay." Cameron click-clacked towards the door to reveal a dressed up Hudson, who was carrying a huge bouquet of pink tulips.

"Hey. Wow. You look amazing," he commented nervously as Cameron took the flowers.

"Thanks." She opened the door wider. "Come in. I'll just go find some water to put these in, and then we can go."

Just then, Gaby stepped into the living room, still holding Hailey. "Hi. I'm Gaby. The babysitter. Also her best friend. And her substitute father. So have her home by midnight, or you'll have to answer to me and this adorable baby."

"Gaby, stop harassing him." Cameron called out from the kitchen. She click-clacked back into the living room.

"It's fine. So, babysitter, huh?" Hudson stepped up to Hailey. "Hi there cutie."

Instead of crying her eyes out like usual, Hailey smiled at him, revealing a crooked tooth.

"Awww, she likes you," Cameron said as she grabbed her bag.

"She's not the only one," Gaby said under her breath as she noticed the way Hudson stared adoringly at Cameron.

"What?" Cameron asked as she pulled on her coat.

"Nothing. Bye!" She practically shoved them out the door.

"So sorry about Gaby. I don't think she has a filter," Cameron apologized as they got into his car.

"It's cool," Hudson replied simply. Cameron felt a thrill of attraction as she stared at his profile, his perfect ski slope nose and that stubborn yet adorable lock of hair that always fell into his eyes.

Ten minutes later, they arrived at an Italian restaurant downtown. They were quickly seated at a table with a gorgeous view, and the smells coming from the kitchen were delicious.

But Cameron wasn't enjoying it at all. An Italian restaurant was where she and House had gone on their first date. In fact, she was wearing the exact shoes that she'd worn on that disastrous date.

She began to hyperventilate, suddenly struck with memories. She remembered the awkward small talk that she and House had tried to make and his harsh judgment of her. The way she'd burst into tears the moment she'd gotten home. How he'd kissed her, three months later, and that amazing feeling that came with the knowledge that she was dating House. And finally, the awful feeling in the pit of her stomach as she realized who House really was.

"Natalie?" Hudson reached for her hand across the table. "What's wrong? Are you ok?"

But Cameron barely registered his voice as she continued to remember everything that had gone wrong for the past year. How she'd fled Princeton in the dead of the night, knowing that she was pregnant with her father's baby. How different her new job was. And above all, the horrible loneliness she'd experienced on the flight here, knowing that she would have to start over with a new name. Again.

"Can't…breathe," Cameron managed to gasp. Immediately, Hudson was by her side, rubbing her back gently. He produced a paper bag and held it up to her mouth.

Gradually, Cameron's breathing normalized. "Sorry," she said apologetically. "I don't usually have panic attacks during dates." She grinned sheepishly.

"That's fine. I don't usually have women who are so impressed by me they end up having a panic attack," Hudson joked.

"I'm sorry about this," she apologized. "You obviously planned this out, and I've ruined everything."

"No you didn't. It's fine." He looked at his watch. "We can still order. It's early."

"No!" Cameron almost shouted. She had to get out of here. "I, um, don't really like Italian." She came up with a lame excuse.

"Oh." Hudson looked disappointed.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you." Cameron apologized for like the fifth time that evening. Was this going to become a new habit?

"No, it's my fault. I should've asked. It's just that I was so excited that you finally called me back and…" He stopped. "We could go somewhere else," he offered.

"Sure." Relief flooded through Cameron. She'd been so afraid that she'd scared him off.

"Where do you want to go?" he asked.

"Oh, no, you can pick the place. After all, I kind of ruined your plans for this one." She shrugged.

"What? No." Cameron tried to argue, but the look on Hudson's face stopped her. God, he really was the perfect gentleman. "Okay, then. I have a sudden craving for pancakes. What about IHOP?" She suggested.

A thoughtful look crossed Hudson's face when she said the word pancakes. But he quickly shrugged it off. "Sure. Sounds good."

Three hours later, Hudson dropped off Cameron in front of her apartment. "Well, here we are."

"Thanks for tonight," Cameron said, actually meaning it. She'd been so worried that he'd spend the entire time grilling her about how familiar she looked, but he hadn't brought it up at all.

She got out of the car, only wobbling slightly in her heels. Hudson exited the car and followed her, walking her to her door.

"So, what are the chances of a second date?" he asked.

"I'd say they're pretty good," Cameron whispered as he leaned closer, pressing his lips to hers. Although it certainly wasn't their first kiss, it might as well have been. His lips were warm and soft, and it made her feel more relaxed than she'd been in months. The kiss grew deeper. Her hands were tangled in his brown hair, and his hands moved up and down her back in gentle, soothing circles. It felt wonderful. She'd forgotten what a great kisser he was.

They broke apart, gasping for air. "I would invite you in, but with Hailey and everything." She explained, combing through her messy hair.

"It's fine." He leaned in for one last kiss. "I'll call you tomorrow. Good night, Natalie Tucker."

As Cameron waved goodbye, a strange sadness filled her heart. She was suddenly struck with the realization that nobody would say her real name with that kind of tenderness anymore.

**Author's note: A happy chapter ending for once! Of course, that won't be the case for long. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's note: Stayed up really late working on this. Should really stop procrastinating on my college apps.**

**Disclaimer: The only thing I own is a bunch of unfinished college apps with very close due dates. Yep, that means I don't own House MD. **

Chapter 10 (3 months later)

A second date turned into a third, and a fourth, and another, and another, and another. Pretty soon, Cameron found herself dating Hudson again. It was even better than the first time. He was more perfect than she'd remembered. She was finally at peace. She had a wonderful daughter and an amazing new boyfriend. Life could not get any better.

For the first time in months, she finally stopped sleeping with her fists clenched and no longer flinched at the sound of her new name or at every reminder of her old life. Of course, it helped that Hudson stayed over almost every night. She'd almost forgotten all about her old life.

Even Gaby had noticed that she was happier than she'd been in a really long time, commenting that it was about time someone had broken down those walls she'd put up to protect herself from getting hurt again. Sometimes, she wondered how it hadn't ended badly, because all her relationships did, but then she realized that unlike the others, Hudson was perfect.

He was even good with Hailey, which was a miracle of God. Even Gaby, as patient as she was, had given up after a while. One night, when Cameron was out with Hudson, Gaby had called her desperately because Hailey had been crying nonstop for hours. Surprisingly, Hudson had been completely fine with leaving their date early, despite the fact that they had tickets to a play. He'd even offered to help calm Hailey down, which he was unexpectedly good at.

Watching Hudson with Hailey made Cameron's heart melt. In some ways, he was even better with her daughter than she was. He had this special way of calming her down, which included making ridiculous faces and singing crazy songs, something Cameron never had time to do.

In fact, Hailey had started calling Hudson daddy. Although Cameron apologized each time that happened, Hudson seemed to genuinely love Hailey like she was his daughter. And that made Cameron love him even more.

However, there was one thing that still bothered her, the fact that she was lying about who she was. One night, while they snuggled on the couch and watched Hailey sleep, Hudson had told her all about how he hated people, especially girlfriends, who lied. He'd talked about an ex who'd lied about how she was rich just to impress him. And when he found out that she'd lied, he'd dumped her immediately because he couldn't stand liars. The firmness in his voice made Cameron squirm uncomfortably. The lie that his ex had told was nothing compared to all the lies she'd fed him about "Natalie Tucker's" life.

Sometimes, she thought about telling Hudson the truth. Maybe he'd understand. But then she thought about how he'd firmly told her that he hated liars, and she decided not to. Besides, what was the point? They were perfectly happy the way they were, so why ruin it? He was the best thing that had ever happened to her.

But of course, like everything in her life, something went wrong.

It all started when they were getting ready to go out for dinner for their one year anniversary. Hudson, who had practically moved in, was trying to calm down a fussy Hailey while Cameron was in her room, getting dressed and fixing her makeup.

"Poor baby. Gaby's going to have her hands full tonight," Hudson commented as he tried one of his crazy song and dance routines to stop Hailey from crying. They were going to drop her off on their way to dinner.

"Hey, can you get my black purse? I think it's in the coat closet." Cameron called out from her room.

"Sure," Hudson replied, Hailey's wails in the background. She heard the squeak of the door open, and then him rustling through the mess in the closet.

"Did you find it?" She asked. There was no reply.

"Men." She rolled her eyes and slipped on her shoes, click-clacking down the hallway as she fastened her hoop earrings.

She saw Hudson emerge from the closet, holding a black fringed purse.

"No, not that…" she began, but was stopped by the look on his face. "What's wrong?"

"You tell me." He held up a small, square card. "Why don't you start by telling me your name, Natalie Tucker? Or should I say, _Allison Cameron?_"

Shit. Shit shit shit shit shit. SHIT! Cameron grabbed the card he was holding. Sure enough, it was her driver's license from her old life. Her own face, framed by her natural brown locks, grinned back at her.

"I, um, this isn't what it looks like." She began shakily.

"Really? Because this is _exactly_ what it looks like." Hudson snapped as he grabbed his coat. "I have to go."

"Wait!" Cameron said desperately. "Just, just let me explain."

Hudson stopped. "Fine."

She picked up Hailey, who'd sensed the tense mood in the room and instantly stopped crying, and held her in her lap. "It's a really long story."

"I've got time." Hudson sat back on the couch.

Slowly, Cameron launched into her own woeful tale, starting with how she was abandoned as a baby and ending with her move to Seattle. She didn't leave out a single detail. She told him all about her relationship with House. When she got to the part about finding out he was her father, she snuck at look at Hudson's face. It remained stony and impassive.

"So, I moved to Seattle, so I could have a fresh start. I changed my name and dyed my hair blonde so House couldn't find me." She finished, close to tears. She looked at his face again. His expression hadn't changed one bit.

"I know you're mad. You deserve to be mad," she said. "I've been lying to you for so long and…" she trailed off, not really knowing what to say next.

Hudson remained silent.

"Please say something." She pleaded, looking down at Hailey's silky brown hair. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry? Sorry doesn't really cut it, Natalie," He sneered. "Allison. Jesus. I don't even know who you are."

"No! You do!" Cameron said desperately. "The only thing I lied about was my name. Everything else, it was all me."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Hudson asked. He looked disappointed and sad. "Did you not trust me?"

"I didn't want you knowing the truth because I knew it would drive you away," she explained. Tears were beginning to pool in her eyes, clouding her vision. "If you knew that I'd slept with my father and had his baby…"

"God! I don't even care about that!" Hudson slammed his hand into the coffee table, making her and Hailey jump. "All I care about is that for almost half a year, you've been lying to me about who you are! God, I knew there was something familiar about you…." He trailed off.

"Yes, but—" She was cut off.

"You know what?" He stood up, looking disgusted. "I can't stand liars." He pulled on his coat. "I have to go."

"Hudson, please," she begged, tears falling down her cheeks.

"No." He opened the door. "I'm not listening to your lies anymore. You know, when I first met you, I thought I finally had the perfect girlfriend. Uncomplicated, open, and sexy as hell. But you turned out to be just as twisted as Rumpelstiltskin. Have a nice life, whatever the hell your name is." And with that, the door was slammed shut.

Cameron sank back against the couch, sobbing. Just like everything else in her life, this was ruined beyond repair.

**Author's note: Sooo for those of you who haven't already, go read my other fanfic, The New Normal. Its a Once Upon a Time one. **


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's note: Finally got an app submitted, so got this chapter finished as well. **

**Disclaimer: Guess who doesn't own House MD? Oh right, yeah, that'd be me. **

Chapter 11 (six months later)

Why did her past have to come back to haunt her? That was the question Cameron asked herself endlessly over the next six months. Why hadn't she told Hudson the truth? Why, why, why, why why?

Because that was her thing, Cameron knew. It was the way she dealt with everything. Lies, followed up lies, covered up by lies, with a side serving of even more lies. It was how she'd survived Chicago all those years ago, how she'd gotten into college, and how she dealt with the aftermath of House.

And for many years, that had worked. She'd escaped from her abusive foster home, gotten into one of the top colleges in the country, landed a fantastic job. Only to have it ruined. Maybe it had been a sign when Hudson told her about his hatred of liars that it was time to come clean and confess everything. She'd known that her web of lies would come crashing down eventually, but she hadn't imagined it would happen like this.

Well, it didn't matter anymore, Cameron thought with a rueful smile. Hudson was gone. It was like he'd disappeared off the face of the earth. Maybe he'd taken a page out of her book, changed his name, and moved out of the country. Maybe he hated her so much that that was the only way to escape.

Maybe she should just accept the fact that her life had been doomed from the start, and there was nothing she could do to fix it.

It was another one of Seattle's rainy days. You would think that after over a year of living there, Cameron would be more prepared for that, with a huge umbrella and rain boots. But no, that wasn't how things in her twisted life worked out. She was never prepared for anything.

"Wow, it's really pouring out there." Gaby commented as she peeked out the window. "They should issue a flood warning or something."

"It's Seattle. If they did that every time it rained nobody would live here." Cameron quipped as she grabbed her jacket from her locker. "Ugh, I just remembered that my car's in the shop today. And I have to go pick up Hailey from day care."

"Day care? Did she finally scare off her babysitter?" Gaby zipped up her rain jacket and pulled out her umbrella.

"Yep." Cameron slammed her locker shut. "Any chance I could get a ride?"

"Sorry." Gaby said apologetically. "I have to go straight to the dentist."

"Ugh." Cameron groaned. "Thanks a lot."

Gaby patted Cameron on the back as she exited the locker room. "Have fun swimming out there."

Cameron rolled her eyes. Drowning was more like it. Zipping up her coat and grabbing her umbrella, she braced herself for the flood outside.

The moment she was outside, she was soaked through. The rain was coming down in sheets. To make matters worse, it was windy too, so her umbrella was no use. In mere seconds, it was blown to bits. She tossed it aside, cursing inwardly.

If only things hadn't ended with Hudson. Since he got off work at 3, he would have been able to give her a ride home.

_Five more blocks to go_ Cameron thought as she speed walked down the sidewalk, completely soaked through. Her hood had come off, leaving her blonde hair exposed to the unrelenting storm.

She was so busy trying to speed walk through the rain that she didn't even notice when she'd bumped into somebody. Hard.

Their heads collided so hard that Cameron saw stars. As she rubbed her head and waited for her vision to clear up, she studied the stranger she'd bumped into. He looked vaguely familiar, but that was probably just her blurry vision.

"Sorry," she muttered, trying to sidestep him. But he just stood there, staring openly.

"Allison?"

For a moment, her heart stopped at the use of her real name. Was it Foreman or Chase? Or, worse, House? But then she studied the stranger. He was white, with brown hair, and didn't have a cane.

Shit. It was Hudson. Out of all the days to run into her ex, it had to be today, where she looked like a drowned rat.

"Hi," she said, trying to calm her pounding heart. God, she'd missed him. He looked annoyingly hot in his black North Face and faded jeans. As usual, that lock of brown hair fell lazily into his eyes. Cameron found herself jealous of the North Face that got to hug his body so closely.

"What are you doing out here? And without an umbrella?" Like the true gentleman he was, he held his sturdy umbrella over her dripping head.

"I, um, my umbrella got blown to bits," she explained.

He nodded knowingly. They both looked around awkwardly. While Cameron was grateful for the meager shelter from the rain, she wished Hudson would just leave. It was too painful to be standing so close to him, but unable to kiss him.

"Why don't we go get some coffee sometime?" Hudson suggested suddenly.

Cameron was so startled, she almost fell over. When he'd left her six months ago, she was under the impression that he hated her so much he'd never want to see her again.

"Sure. I'd like that." She longed to touch him, to hug him, to kiss him, and above all, to tell him how sorry she was and how much she missed him. But from the stiff way he held himself, it was clear that that was out of the question.

"I should really get going. Have to pick up Hailey from day care." Suddenly, she had to get out of there before she did or said something she'd regret.

"Here, take my umbrella," he offered. Cameron started to protest, but there was that usual stubborn look on his face.

"Thanks," she said, taking the umbrella and walking away.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

When Cameron arrived at Starbucks, Hudson was already there, waiting at their favorite table by the window, two steaming coffees in front of him, one black with Splenda (his favorite), and the other a soy latte (her favorite).

"Hey," she greeted him, hoping her nervousness didn't seep through her voice. "Thanks." She nodded at the coffee. "You remembered."

"How could I forget?" He smiled as if they weren't talking about coffee anymore.

"So, how have you been?" she asked, sipping her coffee.

As Hudson launched into a story about his time in Europe (no wonder he hadn't been answering his phone), Cameron found herself staring at him, his strong hands, his large muscles, his confident smile.

"Enough about me," he said, breaking her out of her thoughts. "What about you?"

"Oh, um, same old same old," she replied, hating the way her voice shook. What was it about him that made her so nervous? She coughed. "Still working at the hospital. Not as interesting as you, that's for sure."

"I'm sure Allison Cameron is nothing but interesting." He said, making her blush. It was funny how easily he said her real name, as if the last year hadn't happened.

There was another awkward silence.

"How's Hailey?" He asked, finishing the rest of his coffee.

"Good. Walking a lot, which means I had to child proof practically everything. Talking endlessly too." She answered.

"That's cool. Does she miss me?" he asked, his eyes sparkling.

"Yep." _She's not the only one_. Cameron thought. "It's been hard to get her to sleep at night."

Hudson nodded. "Cool. Maybe I can come by sometime," he offered. "You know, just to help get her to sleep."

"Right." Cameron replied.

There was another awkward silence as they both tried to think of something to say.

"You know what's funny?" Cameron said as she sipped her coffee. "Hailey reminds me of you."

"Really? How? Funny, charming, handsome, oh wait I'm just describing myself," Hudson joked. God, she'd missed that sense of humor.

"No, it's just that she's clumsy, and you both love vanilla cupcakes. Which I hate, so it sure as hell didn't come from me," she commented.

"Yeah. Funny, right? It's almost like she's my daughter," he mused, looking amused.

Daughter. Suddenly, her mind began to spin. Daughter. Was it possible? She thought about Hailey's eyes, which were turning more brown than green, and how they both had long fingers and a cleft chin. Could it be?

"Allison? Are you okay?" Hudson's voice broke through her whirling thoughts. Without knowing it, she'd begun to choke on her coffee.

Cameron didn't reply as her thoughts spun faster and faster. Hadn't they slept together the week before they'd broken up all those years ago? If they had, the timing made sense. She remembered how Hudson seemed to have an immediate connection with Hailey, despite the fact that she wasn't his daughter. How Hailey took an instant liking to Hudson, almost as if she'd known that he wasn't just some stranger, but her father.

Just like on their first date (in Seattle), Hudson knelt at her side and held a paper bag to her face. "Come on, just breathe slowly." He said soothingly.

Slowly, her breathing eased up and the spots disappeared from her vision.

"Good," he said, getting back into his seat. "Do you always get panic attacks during dates?" he asked jokingly. "I know I'm awesome, but I didn't think I was _that _good looking." He looked up, expecting her to crack a smile at his lame joke, but she was still ashen, gasping for breath.

"Are you sure you're okay?" He asked. The concern in his voice was back.

"Hudson, do you remember the last time we slept together?" She asked, knowing it was a strange question. She crossed her fingers, hoping that he wouldn't remember.

A blush crossed his face. "The night before I left?"

She shook her head. "No. Before that. Princeton." Maybe she'd remembered wrong, and the last time had actually been way before they'd broken up.

He nodded. "Wasn't it a couple of weeks before we broke up?"

Fuck. Unlike her, he had a great memory.

"What about it?" He asked, curious.

Cameron didn't answer. Should she even bring this up? What if it pissed him off again?

"Allison. Tell me."

Well, it wasn't like she had anything to lose. They were already broken up. He couldn't leave her twice.

"I think Hailey might be your daughter," she said quietly, watching as silent shock crossed his face.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

He agreed to a paternity test. How could he refuse? He loved Hailey like she was his own daughter. Ironically, she might actually be his.

Cameron didn't know what to hope for. On one hand, if Hailey really was Hudson's, it would further complicate things. A lot. If only she'd thought of this before they'd broken up. It'd be awkward, yes, but at least they wouldn't have to deal with the issue of their breakup. On the other hand, if Hailey was House's, it wouldn't really change anything. Except maybe horrify Hudson all over again. She'd already prepared a story for Hailey when she started asking about her father in a few years. After all, lying was her specialty, along with running away.

They did it in the hospital, using fake names. No one had to know the truth about Cameron's twisted past. After it was done, Hudson left, saying that he needed some space. Cameron didn't blame him. Unlike most guys, he had to put up with a lot of her crap.

Two weeks later, the results arrived. The moment she saw the envelope in the mail, her heart began to pound rapidly. The contents of the envelope would change her and Hailey's life forever.

At first, she didn't even want to open it. Who cared, really? Hailey would believe whatever she told her, and even if Hudson was the father it didn't necessarily mean that he would be a good father. In fact, it might even hurt Hailey in the long run if she found out that Hudson was her father but didn't want her.

But long ago, before Hailey was born, she'd vowed that she'd never lie to her children. That even if the truth hurt, she would tell them everything. It was something that her foster parents had never done for her. They'd lied about everything, from how much food was in the house to the fact that they wanted her when it was clear that they'd only taken her in to get money.

So, she opened the letter. Slowly, methodically, the envelope was torn open, the letter still folded on the table in front of her.

She took a deep breath, bracing herself for the contents of the letter. She picked it up, quickly scanning the intricate mess of letters and numbers printed on the thick white paper.

When her eyes reached it, she gasped out loud, letting the letter slide down onto the hardwood floor.

**Author's note: Yes, I know it's a shorter chapter. But get over it. I have school, college applications, and a life. **


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's note; Enjoy this ch, cuz the next one might not come for several days. Deeply, deeply sorry that I have a life :P **

Chapter 14

Cameron couldn't help the relief coursing through her veins as she read the results for the fifteenth time. Yes, the fact that Hudson was the father complicated things, but it also meant that Hailey hadn't resulted from something illegal.

She let out a breath she hadn't even known she'd been holding. Ever since she'd found out she was pregnant, she'd been dreading the day that Hailey would finally ask about her father. Although she had twenty different stories lined up, she hated the thought of using them. But now, even if Hudson wanted nothing to do with his daughter, at least Cameron could tell Hailey the truth.

Now, all there was left to do was to send Hudson the results. Even if he didn't want anything to do with Hailey, he still deserved to know the truth. So, Cameron made a copy of the letter and mailed it to the address Hudson had given her after they took the paternity test. She had no way of knowing whether or not he still lived there or whether he'd even open the letter, but it wasn't up to her to worry anymore. She'd done her part.

Two weeks passed by uneventfully. Every day, Cameron checked her phone and email for messages from Hudson. But for two weeks, there was nothing. Not a single message or voicemail from him.

Although Cameron was disappointed, she knew that this was for the best. If Hudson had come back, it would have been ridiculously awkward. They would have had to pretend to be comfortable around each other for Hailey's sake, and that would have been painful.

One night, Cameron was making dinner while Hailey played in the living room, Sesame Street blaring in the background. There had been another accident on I-90 (what was it with I-90 and car wrecks), and everyone had to work a double shift. As a result, Cameron was tired and grumpy.

Ding Dong! The doorbell rang, and Hailey immediately started wailing, like she always did when the door rang. Ever since Hudson had broken up with her seven months ago, Hailey was fussier than before, taking over an hour to fall asleep at night and refusing to let Cameron leave her room at night. She probably had the same abandonment issues that Cameron developed when she was a kid.

"What now?" Cameron grumbled as she threw down her oven mitts. She stalked over to the door and threw it open, fully prepared to yell at the intruder, House style.

"What?!" She snapped, throwing the door open. She knew she probably looked crazy, still holding a spatula in one hand, while her hair was in an extremely sloppy bun and huge under eye circles taking up residence on her face.

But it wasn't someone trying to sell something. It was Hudson, who held a huge bouquet of pink tulips and a teddy bear, looking extremely hot in a button down and faded jeans.

"Jeez, I'm sorry. Please don't hit me with that," he joked.

Cameron sighed angrily. Although she was glad to see him, she was also pissed. She held the door open wider, letting him inside.

Once he was in, she wheeled on him. "What the hell are you doing here?" She snapped, not caring if Hailey overheard.

He held up his hands in surrender, not an easy feat with the flowers and bear he was holding. "Sorry for just showing up like this. But I figured this was the type of romantic gesture you deserved."

He looked bewildered. Probably had been expecting her to welcome him with open arms. Well, think again bastard.

"Haven't heard from you in two weeks! Had no way of knowing if you got the test results I sent you. I thought you didn't want Hailey, just like how my parents abandoned…" She was cut off by Hudson, who crossed the room towards her in two steps and pressed his lips against hers, leaving the flowers and bear on the ground.

Instantly, her heart melted and her anger disappeared. She dropped the spatula she was holding, and the world seemed to melt away.

He pulled away. "I would never abandon you," he said softly. "I just needed some space, to clear my head, to accept the fact that I had a daughter." He explained, looking extremely sorry. "All my life, I never really had a family. I was free to travel the world and do whatever I want. And all of a sudden, I find out that I have a kid. It was a lot of take in all at once."

Cameron nodded. She'd felt the same way when she first found out she was pregnant, but unlike Hudson she'd had to accept it very quickly.

"At first I wanted to disappear. Go to Europe, and just start over." He admitted. "But then I thought of you and Hailey, and suddenly I couldn't think of living without you." He paused.

"I've done a lot of thinking about what you did, changing your name and moving away and lying about it for so long. And I think I understand why you did it. You just wanted a fresh start, away from all the drama. And you didn't know whether or not you could trust me. And I completely overreacted."

Cameron nodded, tears spilling down her cheeks.

"I should have listened to you." He said, guilt clouding his perfect features. "I shouldn't have just left like that." He finished. "I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too." Cameron said, meaning it.

"I love you." Hudson said, pulling her into a tight hug. "And nothing you do or lie about could ever change that."

Cameron started crying again. "I love you too."

**Author's note: Awwww, a happy ending finally. But the story is NOT over. For those of you who have been wanting to see House, ya might wanna read the next few chapters. **


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's note: So for those of you who were begging for House to come back, here he is finally.**

Chapter 15 (two years later)

Two years. That's how long Cameron had been happy. Two years. Sometimes it still felt like a dream. In her whole life, she'd never been at peace for so long. There had always been some drama to ruin it, from abusive foster brothers to being tossed out to dealing with House. But now, life was perfect.

Although she was still known as Natalie Tucker to everyone at work, Hudson called her Allison, claiming that it sounded sexier than Natalie. And Cameron couldn't agree more. After all, that was why she'd given herself that name all those years ago as a lonely 14 year old in Chicago.

A week after Hudson had come back, he'd moved into her apartment. Three days later, he'd proposed. They were married several months later, with Hailey as the flower girl and Gaby as the maid of honor.

If someone had told her three years ago that she would actually be happy in Seattle, she would've laughed and asked them what they were smoking. She still didn't believe that for once in her life, everything was just right.

"Hey, did you get the paper?" Cameron asked one morning as she was making breakfast. Hailey sat in her chair, watching TV and playing with her Barbies.

"Here." Hudson handed her the slightly damp Seattle Times.

Cameron unfolded it and scanned all the headlines, just as she did every morning. Usually, there was nothing interesting. Just stuff about how screwed the economy was.

However, something suddenly caught her eye. It was a picture of a very familiar hospital. Next it was a picture of a man, someone who'd haunted her dreams every night for over a year.

"House," she whispered. The world seemed to melt away as she stared at House's picture, gripping the paper so hard her knuckles turned white.

"Allison?" Hudson said from the stove, where he'd taken over making breakfast. "Are you okay?"

She barely heard him. All she could see was House's picture glaring up at her, judging her, mocking her.

She felt Hudson guide her towards a chair, wrestle the paper from her sweaty grip, and press a paper bag to her lips. "Here, just breathe slowly." He was so used to her frequent panic attacks.

"Wha's wong with Mommy?" She heard Hailey ask in the background.

"Nothing," Hudson answered automatically. "Just play with your Barbies." He turned back to Cameron, concerned. "What's wrong?"

All Cameron could do was point at the picture in the newspaper, her head spun so badly she thought she'd pass out. "House," she managed to gasp out.

Slowly, her breathing returned to normal. The spots disappeared from her vision. She grabbed the newspaper and read the headline, ignoring House's picture.

_Prestigious Department Shutting down in Princeton Hospital_ read the title. Underneath it, it said _Dr. Gregory House slowly going insane._

Beneath it, it described how House was currently a patient at PPTH, slowly dying of liver disease, due to Vicodin and alcohol abuse. The article told her that House's decline had begun three years ago, due to an unexplained reason, and while his employees had been keeping his department afloat for years, they couldn't do anything about it now that House was incapacitated.

_My fault_. Cameron thought dizzily. _This is all my fault. _

She must have said that out loud, because she could feel Hudson stare at her. "How's that your fault?"

"B-because I left. It said that House started to shut down three years ago. That's when I left. It's my fault his department is closing," she explained, close to tears. Once again, she was responsible for ruining something. Except this time, it wasn't her own life that she screwed up. It was House's. Her _father's_.

"It's my fault House is dying." Even after all this time, she still didn't really think of House as her father, just her brilliant and maverick former boss.

"It's not your fault," Hudson said soothingly, but Cameron didn't hear him. All she could think of was that because of her, House's department was closing, Chase and Foreman were probably unemployed, and Cuddy most likely going nuts trying to save her precious hospital.

"I have to go make it right," she said suddenly.

"How? I'm sure you're a great doctor, but even you can't save a dying man." Hudson said.

"Maybe if I go back, House'll see that…" She trailed off, knowing that it would be futile. Her presence wouldn't be enough to cure House and send him back to work. He'd always been broken, ultimately doomed to fail in life. She'd just been the catalyst.

It would be sad, when the world lost one great doctor. But maybe death would be better for House. Less miserable, anyway.

In the end, she decided to go back anyway. Visit House one last time. Show him his granddaughter before he died.

On the plane ride to Princeton, Cameron fidgeted the whole time, reaching up to toy with her blonde waves and biting her lip. It reminded her of the time she and House had taken that road trip to the orphanage, when he'd been so nervous he couldn't stop tapping his cane on the floor of her car.

"Relax." Hudson reached over Hailey, who sat in the middle seat, and placed his hand on her knee. "It'll be fine."

"Gonna be so strange, seeing everybody after so long," she mused, barely paying attention to her husband's attempts to calm her down.

The plane ride was much too short. Cameron tried to write out what she was going to say to House, but she ended up crumpling it up and throwing it into Hailey's cup of juice.

On the taxi ride over to PPTH, Cameron stared out the window. She knew she should have been playing tour guide, pointing out everything to Hudson and Hailey, but she found herself staring at the familiar landmarks, trying and failing to compose her thoughts.

Although it had been three years, PPTH, looked the same. Same brick exterior. Same row of ivy climbing up the walls. Same glass walls and balcony overlooking the lobby.

However, one thing was different. The place had a dead and empty feeling to it, as if all the chaos of the hospital would die along with House. It was sad, really. A hospital full of great doctors that largely relied on the life of one.

She briefly visited Cuddy's office, mostly to get House's room number, since the front desk had been abandoned. She was greeted with a warm hug, and Cuddy's attempts at small talk. But she was not here for small talk, and Cuddy was no longer her boss so she no longer had the reason to suck up. So she just asked again for House's room number and then left.

Cameron stopped at the old conference room. It too had an abandoned feeling. The furniture was covered up. The absence of a coffee maker was very obvious, along with the cases of Red Bull. She smiled to herself. Some things never changed.

She found House's room relatively quickly, having memorized the layout of the hospital the first day she'd worked there. She pushed aside the glass door and stepped inside the deathly quiet room.

House lay on the bed, surrounded and hooked up to about twenty different beeping machines. His skin was yellow, a clear sign of liver disease. His eyes were open, yet they didn't seem to be seeing anything at all. He was the epitome of a lonely, dying man.

"I'll wait out here." Hudson said. Cameron nodded. They'd decided it'd just be awkward to have Hudson meet House. Taking Hailey by the hand, she approached House and sat down in the chair next to him.

House seemed to know she was there without her saying anything. "Cameron," he rasped slowly. "You're back."

"Yeah," Cameron replied unsure of what to say. "I heard your department's closing down."

House nodded painfully. "No one wants to send their dying loved ones to a doctor who's dying himself." He said, sounding a lot like his old, sarcastic self.

Cameron laughed lightly. "I'm sorry."

House scoffed. "Why? I did this to myself. Alienated myself from everyone and scared away the best thing that ever happened to me…" He trailed off. It was the closest to tears Cameron had ever seen House.

"You didn't scare me away. I left."

"Because of me," he argued. "If only I hadn't tried to find my daughter. If only I hadn't…hadn't kissed you." He turned towards Cameron. The pain and anguish was clear in his once piercing blue eyes.

"It wasn't your fault," Cameron said. "I was the one that caused it."

"Don't argue with a dying cripple." He said slowly.

"Hey. Don't blame yourself for what happened," Cameron said, trying to ease some of his pain.

"What happened to House is always right?" He blinked. "Who's the kid?"

Cameron lifted up Hailey into her lap. "My daughter, Hailey." She tried to get Hailey to say hi, but Hailey buried her face in Cameron's shirt.

"Is she…?" House asked.

"No. She's not yours," Cameron answered.

Relief filled House's face. "You're married."

"Yep. Thanks to you." She said, meaning it. Her happiness now was all because of House. If he hadn't found out he was her father, she wouldn't have run away to Seattle, where she (re)met Hudson.

A ghost of a smile crossed House's face. His eyes slipped closed, and he was still.

**Author's note: I didn't have Hudson meet House because I wanted this to be a very focused Cameron/House interaction. So for those of you who were hoping for that, sorry! **


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's note: Last ch!**

Chapter 16

The funeral was scheduled for next week. Cameron managed to find a hotel, not too far from her old apartment, and she, Hudson, and Hailey toured Princeton.

On the day of the funeral, Hudson decided to take Hailey out to a park instead, since they figured it would scare her. And so Cameron went alone.

The funeral took place in a church not far from the hospital. She recognized many people from the hospital, many people who hated House, who had constantly complained about him. They were probably there only because Cuddy made them come, she thought.

It was a simple service, full of people saying nice things about House. Mostly how he was a great doctor and saved many lives. Nobody mentioned his less than stellar personality.

After the service, she ran into Foreman and Chase, who'd greeted her with warm hugs. Thankfully, they didn't question why she'd left so suddenly all those years ago. They'd exchanged phone numbers and email addresses, promising to keep in touch, but Cameron knew that they wouldn't. It was funny; the two men she'd once considered brothers were now nothing but strangers.

On her way back to the hotel, she stopped at House's gravestone. It said simply: Gregory House. Below that were the years of his birth and death. Nothing about what a fabulous doctor he'd been, or how many lives he'd unknowingly touched.

"There are so many things I never got to say to you, House," she said to the gravestone. "For a really long time, I blamed you for what happened. Even things that happened after I left. My awful job, horrible boss, the weather." She smiled to herself. "I thought, how could he do this to me? After all I went through."

There was no noise except for the wind whistling in the trees.

"But then, I realized. You didn't ruin my life. In fact, you saved it. Because of you, I moved to Seattle, and met, or rather re-met, a fabulous guy. I don't think I would love Hailey as much if it weren't for you. You taught me about love and family, as ironic as that sounds. I learned what lies could do to a family. Hell, you even made me a better doctor."

"So thank you, House." Cameron continued, standing up. "I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't given me away all those years ago. Or if we never found out the truth. But I'm thankful for everything that you did give me. You really were a great dad, even if you don't know it." She walked away from the graveyard, pulling out her phone to call a taxi.

Three hours later, they were on a plane, heading back to Seattle. Hailey sat in the middle seat, sleeping while she clutched a bear she'd gotten on a trip to the zoo the day before. Once again, just like on her last flight to Seattle, Cameron stared out the window. Except this time, she was at peace.

"You sure you're okay?" Hudson turned to his wife.

Cameron turned away from the window, a smiling filling her face. "Yeah. I just can't wait to get home."

Home. That was a strange word. For the longest time, she'd hadn't had one. Home had been a foreign concept to her, something that she'd longed for but never had. And now, thanks to House, Allison Cameron had a home. She was going home.

**Author's note: Yes, a happy ending, something I thought I couldn't do. Anyway, I have a new story coming soon. Another House one, but it'll be, um, a little different this time...For now go and read The New Normal, my Once fanfic. **


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